Adriana Mercado – 2017 Young Migration Lawyer of the Year

April 13, 2017

A massive congratulations to Adriana Mercado, solicitor and registered migration agent, who was awarded the 2017 John Gibson AM Award for the Young Migration Lawyer of the Year and Emma Damm, who was recognized as a finalist. The award is presented to a lawyer with less than five years’ post admission experience, who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of migration law in Australia or internationally.

More about Adriana Mercado

Adriana Mercado was born in El Salvador. Together with her family, she travelled to Australia as a refugee. Experiencing forced migration first hand has given Adriana a unique perspective and understanding of the challenges asylum seekers face.

Now a RSD Team Leader at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre in Papua New Guinea, Adriana has extensive experience assisting vulnerable people in challenging environments.

Adriana is an alumna of the University of Western Sydney, where she completed a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication. While at UWS, Adriana received the Lamrocks Award for the Most Outstanding Student in Advance Torts and Civil Wrongs 2011 for her opinion piece on refugees. A paper that explored the semantics that surround an increasingly politicised issue.

Her other achievements include being a finalist for the 2016 Young Migration Lawyer of the year award, as well as a Co-Founder and Director of the AMB foundation. The purpose of which is to assist asylum seekers unable to meet the practical costs of tertiary education.

Adriana and Emma’s Contributions to Migration Law in Australia

Given the award commemorates, John Gibson AM – one of Australia’s most admired advocates in this field, whose work tirelessly promoted the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers. It is fitting that both Adriana and Emma have been recognized for this achievement. As both provide assistance to some of the most vulnerable and traumatized asylum seekers under the Australian Government’s PAIS program, as well as working as Claim Assistance Providers at the Manus Island IDC in Papua New Guinea.

We are immensely proud to see two of our team members recognized for their outstanding achievements on a national stage.